Cherry laurel propagation. Cherry laurel: agricultural technology and application

  1. Botanical description
  2. Application
  3. Landing
  4. Reproduction
  5. Pests and diseases

This culture is not related to laurel, despite the name and external similarity. Laurel cherry is one of the types of cherries known to everyone, a representative of the Rose family, which includes peach, almond, cherry and apricot. The plant was given an eloquent name because of the characteristic shape of the leaves.

Botanical description

Natural habitats of cherry laurel: the Caucasus, the Balkans, Iran, subtropical territories of Asia Minor, North America.

This is a heat-loving evergreen shrub 4–10 m high with thin long shoots forming a narrow pyramidal crown. Oval, with pointed tips and smooth edges, the leaves have a leathery, smooth surface with feathery veins, and are located alternately on the branches. They are noticeably larger in size than ordinary cherries and more fleshy. The leaf blades reach a length of 17–20 cm and a width of 5–6 cm. Life expectancy is 2 years. Seasonal shedding, as with many broad-leaved species, does not occur; the greenery is renewed gradually, so the branches remain “dressed” even in winter. This is not uncommon for tropical and subtropical crops. Winter temperatures in these areas are rarely low. Typically, in temperate latitudes, this property of plants is an insurmountable obstacle to cultivation in open ground. Cherry laurel is an exception to the rule. Some of its varieties can easily tolerate frosts down to –20 °C, and under protection – up to 25–30 °C. In regions with a climate more severe than in the subtropics, shrubs grow lower - up to 1.5–2 m.

The crop blooms in May. Small five-petalled white corollas with many stamens are collected in fragrant paniculate inflorescences 5–15 cm long. In summer, cherries are tied and ripened on tassels. The fruits, 8–10 mm in diameter, have a recognizable round shape, smooth thin skin of black or dark burgundy color, juicy pulp and a hard stone. They are edible, but sweeter in taste than the usual cherries. The bushes begin to bear fruit at the age of 4–5 years.

Cherry laurel seeds and leaves contain amygdoline and hydrocyanic acid. These toxic compounds are present in varying concentrations in almost all Pinks. When they enter the gastrointestinal tract and are absorbed into the blood, a large amount of them causes acute oxygen starvation and death from suffocation.

Application

Cherry laurel is valuable as an ornamental, fruit-bearing and medicinal crop. Under favorable conditions, its yield reaches 100 kg per adult plant. The pulp of cherries, although quite edible, is too sugary and does not retain freshness for long after picking. More often it is used as a raw material in the wine and confectionery industries.

The leaves of the plant contain fragrant essential oils. After processing, they are used as a natural spice, flavoring food products and pharmaceuticals.

In medicine

Cherry laurel greens, seeds and bark contain a complex of biochemically active substances. In addition to hydrocyanic acid and amygdalin, these are:

  • benzaldehyde;
  • steroid compounds;
  • ascorbic acid;
  • phenolcarbolic acids;
  • catechins;
  • tannins.

Fresh leaves of the plant are used in pharmaceuticals. Cherry laurel water, tinctures and homeopathic preparations are prepared from them. Pharmacy dosage forms have bactericidal, antiviral, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, and moderate analgesic effects. Hydrocyanic acid, contained in microscopic dosages, dulls the excitability of nerve endings, eliminates irritation of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract, and helps relieve coughing in respiratory diseases.

In folk medicine, infusions from the leaves and bark of the bush are used to treat: headaches, insomnia, neuroses, arrhythmias, gastritis, tuberculosis, cancer, gynecological diseases, helminthiases.

Self-prepared cherry laurel preparations must be treated with great caution. Exceeding their dosage can cause intoxication: severe dizziness, swelling of the mucous membranes of the larynx and trachea, difficulty breathing, surges in blood pressure. Fresh parts of plants that contain a high concentration of hydrocyanic acid are especially dangerous. As the raw material is dried or soaked, this compound disintegrates.

Due to its strong toxicity, cherry laurel should not be used for medicinal purposes by pregnant women, children, or people prone to allergic reactions.

In landscape design

Spectacular glossy leaves, compact dense crowns, dense fragrant clusters of inflorescences and bright clusters of fruits are the advantages of cherry laurel over many garden plants. It can be grown not only for harvest, but also as an ornamental crop. It is good in single and group plantings, and in areas with mild winters with little snow it can be used as hedges. The dense foliage of closely planted shrubs forms continuous green walls; the shoots lend themselves well to pruning and retain their given shape for a long time.

Dwarf varieties look great in combination with coniferous shrubs; they can be used to decorate flower beds or borders.

In regions with cold winters, cherry laurel complements the collection of garden plants, providing shelter from frost and strong winds. It is convenient to grow it as a container greenhouse crop - keep it on heated loggias and terraces.

Kinds

Popular cultivated varieties of berry bushes:


Landing

For growing in open ground in the middle zone, it is necessary to choose the most cold-resistant varieties, for example, medicinal cherry laurel. Plants brought from the south run the risk of dying in the first frosty winter.

For planting, choose areas protected from draft winds - near high fences or trees. The soil is preferably nutritious, neutral, slightly alkaline and loose. Work is carried out in April. The holes for seedlings are prepared wide, 70–80 cm deep. Mineral fertilizers for flowering plants and high-moor peat are added to the soil. A drainage layer of small stones must be placed at the bottom of the pits. When planting, the root collars are left at surface level. Then the plants are watered.

Care

During the active growing season - from April to October - shrubs must be moistened regularly: at least once a week, pouring 10 liters of water under each root. In dry weather - after 2-3 days. In the absence of rain for a long time, it is recommended to refresh the foliage by spraying.

You can feed laurel cherries with a solution of rotted manure, compost and complex mineral fertilizers. You need to add food every month from the first warm days until September.

It is advisable to carry out sanitary pruning of the plant twice a year: in March and October.. The crowns are freed from diseased, drying, freezing branches. Shaping pruning is used optionally if the shrubs are planned to fit into a certain style.

The soil around the seedlings is kept clean and loose, and weeds are removed. With the onset of cold weather, watering and fertilizing are stopped, preparing the shrubs for the dormant period. For the winter, the roots are insulated with a thick layer of peat or agrofibre. Crowns need to be covered only in severe frosts.

Reproduction

When propagating cherry laurel from seeds, the material is first kept in the cold at a temperature of +4–6 °C for two months. Before planting, the seeds are soaked for a day in hot water, then planted in containers with a mixture of peat and garden soil. The seedlings are kept indoors, cared for for up to a year, then transferred to permanent places.

Cuttings are the most successful way to preserve all the species characteristics of a plant. For rooting, lignified shoots are cut, cleared of leaves and planted in boxes with a mixture of sand, peat, humus and soil. They are kept in a greenhouse at a temperature not lower than +24 °C. Rooted cuttings are grown in pots throughout the year.

To obtain 1–2 new copies of cherry laurel, air layering is used. The selected branch is cut and pinned to the soil, sprinkled with soil. Before the cuttings take root, they are watered and fed together with the donor. At the end of summer, the shoot can be cut off and transplanted to a new location.

Renew the old plant and root shoots. After removing the bush, you need to leave a short stump of about 3–5 cm. Next year, young shoots will go up from it. When they reach a height of 25–30 cm, you can hill them up and start watering. By autumn, the offspring will have their own roots; just remove the plants from the soil and plant them.

Pests and diseases

Whitish spots on cherry laurel greens may be signs of powdery mildew. You can help the plant by washing the crowns with a soap solution or fungicidal preparations containing sulfur. When the leaves are attacked by scale insects or mealyworms, the bushes are treated twice a week with insecticides: Aktar, Aktellik, Fufanon. It is recommended to purchase several types of products and alternate them. The soil around the trunks also needs to be sprayed. Corroded parts of the shoots must be removed.

Cherry laurel Prunus Laurocerasus is a beautiful and evergreen plant. There are many forms, types and varieties. It got its name due to the similarity of the fruits to cherries and the leaves to laurel. The difference from laurel lies precisely in the fruits. Before ripening, many often confuse these two plants. It is a heat-loving plant, but despite this, it tolerates frost and temperature changes well. Habitat mainly in warm and temperate regions of Eurasia and America. In Russia it grows on the Black Sea coast.

Cherry laurel has been used since ancient times as an ornamental, fruit and industrial plant. The fruits of the plant are very tasty, but unfortunately not all types bear fruit; this happens quite rarely. Essential oils are widely used in medicine, cosmetology and the food industry.

Botanical description

Cherry laurel is a shrub or tree, sometimes reaching a height of up to 10 meters. The plant has dark green leaves with a glossy surface. The fruits are edible, but the seeds are poisonous. The toxic substance amygdalin is found not only in the seeds, but also in the bark and leaves. There is a very interesting feature in cherry laurel leaves - the so-called variation series. When a certain number of leaves are arranged in descending order or, on the contrary, increasing, a series of variability is obtained. This property is quite rare in plants.

Types and varieties of cherry laurel

More than 400 species and varieties of cherry laurel are known in nature. We will introduce you to the most famous varieties.

  • Cherry laurel Rotundifolia – Prunus Rotundiflora. An evergreen shrub that grows vertically and reaches a height of 3-4 meters. The width of the bush crown is up to 2.5 meters. The leaves are wide, ovoid, up to 15 cm long. Flowering begins in early May. The flowers are collected in inflorescences, white. A very light-loving variety. Grows well even on very dry, sandy or rocky soils;
  • Herbergery – Prunus Herbergii – this type of plant was introduced into the market in 1930 by the Herberg nursery, hence the name. The homeland of the shrub is Southern Europe, the Balkan countries and the Caucasus. Evergreen, grows slowly, wide-conical crown. Under favorable conditions, it can reach 3-4 meters in height. Flowering occurs in May. The flowers are small, collected in inflorescences, the fruits are pointed and ovoid. The shrub is light-loving, but tolerates shade, as well as heat and drought. Loves light, sandy soils. Not afraid of pruning, even very strong. During winter, requires shelter from severe frosts and winds;
  • Mount Vernon - Prunus Mount Vernon. Evergreen flat, very compact. It can be placed in a small area. The shoots are creeping and densely branched. Height up to 0.5 m, width 1.5 m. The leaves are serrated along the edges, 7-8 cm long. The shrub is light-loving, but tolerates semi-shaded places well. Loves fertile soils, but can also grow in sandy ones. Needs protection in winter;
  • Portuguese cherry laurel often looks like a tree rather than a shrub. The plant is characterized by slow growth and very beautiful leaves in color and shape. Flowering begins quite late, in the second half of June. The flowers are small, but very pretty. The fruits are dark red in color and, when ripe, give the bush a solemn appearance;
  • Cherry laurel lusitana is considered a large shrub. Under favorable conditions, it can reach up to 5-6 meters in height. Does not like damp soils with excess moisture. If this is not taken into account, the plant may even die. A very heat-loving variety, it can withstand winter only if it is covered. Easily moldable;
  • Cherry laurel is perhaps the most popular species. It looks like a small tree no more than 3 meters high. It grows quickly and tolerates cold and temperature changes well. Does not grow well on dry soils. Almost any soil composition is suitable: calcareous, loamy and even sandy loam. It is highly decorative during flowering and during fruit ripening. Often used in landscape design of areas, squares and parks;
  • Caucasian cherry laurel - stands out among its relatives with its elongated and lush green leaves;
  • Round-leaved - leaves are light green with gloss;
  • Shipkensis - this type of cherry laurel is perfect for growing in containers;
  • Otto Luyken is very resistant to various types of diseases and pests. Compact size, very lush flowering and shiny foliage.

Planting, growing and what to fertilize with

Cherry laurel is usually planted either in open ground or in containers on balconies or greenhouses. Some plant varieties are so compact that they can be grown even in a small apartment. The shrub is planted in a permanent place in late autumn or early spring.

In general, cherry laurel is not a capricious or demanding plant, but some varieties prefer different soil compositions. For example, the Portuguese variety loves fresh soil with good drainage, and the medicinal variety can grow even on calcareous and slightly alkaline soils.

The plant responds very well to various organic and mineral fertilizers in small dosages - 6-8 kg per 1 m2. When growing cherry laurel in containers, a substrate consisting of fertile soil peat is used. There is a big advantage to using this method: the bush does not need to be replanted.

The only thing you need to do is replace the top layer of soil with a fresh one. A good effect on plant growth is achieved by watering with the addition of complex water, approximately 30-40 grams per bucket of water. Watering should be carried out without fail in case of persistent drought and transplantation into open ground. You can choose any planting location, it all depends on the imagination and preference of the gardener. Cherry laurel tolerates sunny places and partial shade.

How to care for this plant

This is the question a novice gardener asks. Maintenance is fairly minimal. The shrub only requires regular pruning, which should be done at the end of winter. For those who will use the plant as a hedge, pruning is recommended at the end of summer. This way the hedge will always look neat.

Reproduction and how to plant

Cherry laurel propagates by seeds, green cuttings and layering. If you decide to propagate by seeds, you must remember that the seeds are suitable for propagation immediately after they are collected. If you store seeds, their similarity sharply decreases.

Seeds should be planted in the ground in late autumn. Young shoots that appear in the spring need to be transplanted into open ground immediately, since the smaller the root, the easier it is to carry out this procedure.

Reproduction by layering is divided into several options: arcuate layering, vertical and horizontal. Cuttings are considered the most difficult method, but with a competent approach and maximum patience, it can be brought to life. This is done like this:

  • Non-lignified shoots, in June, are cut off and divided into pieces of 10-12 cm;
  • The cuttings are planted in a container in a special soil, which consists of humus, sand, and something for drainage is definitely needed; expanded clay or small crushed stone may be suitable. Cuttings are planted in this mixture;
  • The container is left in the greenhouse. I would like to note that in order for the cuttings to develop good roots, they need to be watered in a timely manner. Watering must be carried out at a strictly designated time. Rooted cuttings are planted in open ground with good and fertile soil, and next autumn they can be transplanted to a permanent place. Seedlings can also be purchased in specialized stores or nurseries. Experts will tell you how to choose a seedling, but we will also give some advice:
  • The seedling must be zoned;
  • The roots of a healthy seedling should be healthy, not dried out, not frostbitten. Length is shorter than 30cm;
  • There should be no growths or swellings on the roots.

What causes illness and what pests

The most common disease in cherry laurel is grape powdery mildew, which appears as white, flour-like spots. It is very easy to get rid of this disease; it is enough to use preparations based on sulfur or other fungicides. If you want to prevent this disease, you need to carry out preventive treatment with drugs. Pests do not attack this plant, so you do not have to fight them.

Application of cherry laurel

Cherry laurel is used as an ornamental plant, and is very often used as a hedge. The shrub tolerates pruning very well, and therefore can be easily shaped into various shapes. The fruits and leaves are used in food and folk medicine.

The healing effect of cherry laurel

The healing properties of this plant have been known for a very long time. It is especially often used as a medicine by the peoples of the Caucasus. A mixture of plants with the addition of cherry laurel is used as a sleeping pill. The collection of herbs is placed in a fabric bag and placed under the pillow. The Caucasian people have known and used the medicinal properties of cherry laurel since ancient times. These properties calm the nervous system and improve sleep, and also relieve headaches.

Cherry laurel extract is used in folk and traditional medicine in the form of drops or as an extract. This remedy soothes and relieves pain.

Cherry laurel in cooking

This plant is used in cooking as syrups, which are added to creams or doughs. In Abkhazia, they like to make cherry laurel jam. It turns out not only tasty, but also very healthy. Very often, figs or lemon are also added to the jam, which turns out to be a storehouse of vitamins and healing substances.

Enlarge text

Cherry laurel is an evergreen plant whose appearance attracts at first sight. It got its name thanks to the beautiful laurel leaves and cherry-like fruits. Its peculiarity is its unpretentiousness to growing conditions, temperature changes and great frost resistance.

Key points in caring for cherry laurel

As already mentioned above, cherry laurel is quite unpretentious and this also affects the care of the plant.

  • After planting in the garden, add a little organic or mineral fertilizer. It is better to replace the top layer with which you replant the plant with a new one, and you can leave the old one with peat on the roots.
  • Water the plant as the soil dries out. For the best effect and growth of cherry laurel, you can add 40 grams of complex fertilizer to a bucket of water, which can be purchased at any gardening store.
  • In winter, we also water the plant occasionally, but moderately.
  • You can plant both in the shade and in sunny areas - it’s whatever the gardener wants.
  • Pruning is not necessary. You can trim the plant, bend it, make it into a living fence - cherry laurel adapts to any conditions. You can trim only those shoots that have not become lignified, by approximately 10 centimeters.

In addition, the plant can grow well indoors.

Diseases and pests of cherry laurel

This plant gets sick very rarely, and it is almost not exposed to pests. This is due to the fact that the tree bark and leaves are poisonous.

The most common disease of cherry laurel is powdery mildew, which can be recognized by white spots on the leaves. To overcome this disease, it is enough to treat the leaves with a spray of fungicides or a product that contains sulfur. You can also do preventative treatment.

Of the pests for cherry laurel, only blackbirds, which love to feast on the fruits, are dangerous.

Cherry laurel is an ideal plant for your garden - unpretentious and frost-resistant.

Planting cherry laurel in open ground

Cherry laurel is easy to plant, unpretentious in care and propagation. It is quite possible to plant it on your own site. The only condition for growing is to find a good sunny area.

Basic principles of planting cherry laurel in open ground

  • March or October is best for planting this plant;
  • The plant has no special soil requirements, but most of all it loves light soil;
  • fertilize with organic or mineral fertilizers: 6 kg per square meter of land is enough;
  • a bush that was grown in a container can be transplanted into open ground immediately with a layer of peat and drainage;
  • if you use it as an ornamental plant, you can often leave it in a container; it will only be enough to renew the top layer of soil;
  • water as the soil dries out; you can add complex fertilizer to the water;
  • In order for the plant to have an aesthetic appearance, we cut off the branches at the end of winter.

Cherry laurel propagation

Cherry laurel can be propagated by cuttings, layering or seeds.

Propagation by cuttings

At the beginning of summer, before the shoots become woody, we carefully cut them off and divide them into cuttings of 10 cm each. We completely clear the cuttings of leaves. We plant them in a greenhouse in a pre-prepared mixture of drainage, humus and sand, and sprinkle it with it too.

Propagation by seeds

The seeds are not stored at all - their germination capacity drops completely. Therefore, seeds should be sown immediately after they have been collected. To do this, it is enough to sow them in moist soil in the autumn and wait until the plants begin to sprout in the spring.

Reproduction by layering

Reproduction can be by arcuate, horizontal and vertical layering. The vertical method involves cutting off all branches on relatively young bushes, and new shoots will soon appear. They are hilled a couple of times until their roots sprout. At the end of autumn or early spring, seedlings are cut off and the best ones are planted in the soil.

With the arc-shaped method, we dig two holes near the plant and lower them into them in an arc, attach them with hooks, and sprinkle them with soil. If necessary, you can ring the bark. At the bend site, the layering begins to take root.

Using the vertical method, we cut off the young shoots and leave stumps 3 cm high. We thin out the shoots that grow on them and leave only the strong ones. Then we hill up the shoots and water them when they produce strong enough roots for the mother plant.

A year ago I was visiting relatives in Belarus. They invited me to see their summer cottage. Walking through the spacious garden and vegetable garden, I noticed two young, but already quite tall trees, strewn with many reddening fruits. I came closer and couldn’t believe my eyes: was it really cherry laurel? Yes, that was exactly it - a plant with beautiful succulent leaves.

Cherry laurel officinalis or common (Laurocerasus officinalis Roem.) - a plant from the Rosaceae family - is an evergreen bush, less often - a tree up to 8 m high. Its homeland is the mountainous regions of Transcaucasia, Asia Minor, and the Balkans. It has many intraspecific forms. Including fruit and ornamental ones. It grows quite quickly.

Cherry laurel wood is strong and light yellow. The bark contains up to 10% tannins. The crown of the tree is wide. Cherry laurel leaves are beautiful: alternate, oblong-oval, entire, large, up to 15 cm long, leathery, thick, shiny, dark green. They are phytoncides, therefore they are used by the pharmaceutical industry to produce medicines. Benzaldehyde, used in the liquor and vodka industry, is also obtained from them.

In its homeland, cherry laurel blooms in April–May. Its flowers are small, creamy, and orange in the center. They are fragrant, collected in a brush up to 12 cm long. Cherry laurel fruits are drupes, similar to bird cherry or cherry fruits, up to 1.5 cm in diameter. Initially they are red, but when ripe they become black; Their pulp is edible and has a unique taste. In different species forms, the fruits are both sweet and bitter. Sweet-fruited forms of cherry laurel are cultivated as a fruit species. The fruit seed is round and smooth.

All parts of the plant, except the pulp of the fruit, especially the kernels of the drupes, are highly poisonous and contain hydrocyanic acid. .

Cherry laurel is very shade-tolerant, feels better in partial shade, and can even grow under the canopy of trees. It is undemanding about soil fertility, but prefers clay-turf soil with the addition of humus and sand; loves liming and fertilizing with horn shavings. Cherry laurel is moisture-loving; when growing it, regular and abundant watering is necessary, but it does not tolerate stagnation of water; good drainage is required.

Plants grown from seeds harvested in the foothills, when cultivated in the middle zone and the North-West, can withstand frosts only up to -18ºС, therefore they can winter only if they have good winter shelter, or they can be grown in winter gardens in tub culture.

But plants grown from seeds collected from bushes that grow in high mountain areas, at the upper limit of their range, at altitudes of 1800-2000 meters, are quite winter-hardy. You don't even have to cover them. True, it is not easy to get seeds of such a mountain species form.

In the Republic of Belarus, this mountain subspecies was successfully acclimatized several decades ago and is bred in gardens. Moreover, it is a tasty, sweet-fruited form, with fruits suitable for fresh consumption and for processing into jam, juices, compotes, etc. Therefore, you don’t have to look for its seeds high in the mountains, but simply purchase them from gardeners in Belarus. Moreover, this form adapted there so much that it even began to run wild; its seeds are spread in forests and parks by birds. There are already real thickets of cherry laurel. I also know that several cherry laurel seedlings brought from Belarus are already in their second winter at a summer cottage near St. Petersburg. We'll keep an eye on this experiment.


Cherry laurel is gas and smoke resistant, suitable for growing in cities. It tolerates cutting and shaping well, while its crown can be easily given any shape. It is better to do a haircut at the end of summer.

Seeds, cuttings, root shoots, layering. Thanks to its beautiful leaves and bright fruits, it is decorative. In landscape design it can be used as a tapeworm (single), in biogroups, borders and hedges. It is a good soil-stabilizing breed.

Heat-loving forms can be used in winter gardens and greenhouses as a tub crop. Dwarf varieties have been bred abroad based on the high-mountain intraspecific form Otto Luyken And Zabeliana . They do not exceed a height of 1.2 m, as a result of which they can be used both as ground cover and potted plants, including in our country.

Vladimir Starostin, dendrologist, candidate of agricultural sciences

Photo by E. Valentinov

Cherry laurel is a beautiful green bush that has applications both in medicine and in landscape design in the form of a hedge.

The plant is unpretentious in care, loves bright places and abundant watering.

It is considered medicinal and treats gastrointestinal diseases, heart diseases, in some cases even depression and nervous excitability.

It has its name because it has leaves like bay leaves and fruits like cherries.

A green bush that presents countless possibilities. Applicable both in medicine and in landscape design, gardening, and cooking.

Description and where it grows

The Rozanov family. The homeland of the bush is the Western Caucasus.

Loves warmth and temperate climates, and grows there.

Why is it called that? Its leaves resemble laurel leaves, and the fruits resemble cherries.

The height of the plant is about 10 m tall. The leaves are dense and strong to the touch.

INTERESTING TO KNOW:

This is something you rarely see in our nature - the leaves grow in an unusual way: in descending order, while others increase. Looks elegant.

Flowering time is July-May at the age of 4 years. The flowers of the bush grow like small graceful candles on the plant. They emit an incredible pleasant smell. When flowering has already occurred, the plant produces fruits in the form of balls of different colors: from white to red. But you can only try the fruit; it has a pleasant sour taste. The leaves and bark are poisonous.

Benefits and beneficial properties

Even in their homeland, they are loved for their beneficial healing properties and cherry laurel is considered medicinal.

Compound

What diseases does Cherry Laurel treat?

  • Depression, agitation, irritability;
  • Haemorrhoids;
  • Prevention of coughs and colds;
  • Arrhythmia, aneurysms;
  • Ovarian tumors;
  • Cervical cancer.

Recipes

Several recipes for such diseases:

  • Gastrointestinal diseases

Take the seeds and grind them into powder and combine them with sugar evenly. This mixture is eaten after meals about 3 times a day.

  • Stomach pain, cramps

Cherry laurel leaves are poured with boiling water in a glass and steamed for about 20 minutes. Drink a couple of spoons at a time when pain occurs.

  • Headache

Wash down the bones, crushed into powder, with milk.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW:

Do not forget about the main correct use of almost any plant - consult with your doctor whether you can take it. There are individual intolerances, etc. The fact that the plant contains toxic elements can affect you in any way, naturally negative.

Cherry laurel in medicine

Since ancient times, when the benefits of the plant were discovered, they began to prepare cherry laurel water from it as a healing magical drink.

This water is distilled and infused, and then used as a prophylaxis against various diseases, colds, etc. It treats gastrointestinal diseases. It is considered an antiviral plant, thanks to the phytoncides in its composition.

They created a medicine from it, in addition to cherry laurel water, cherry laurel oil. It has a tart taste like almonds. It is used as a treatment for heart disease and as a sedative for nervous excitability.

Some industries use cherry laurel leaves when preparing dietary supplements.

Harm and contraindications

The plant contains a large amount of hydrocyanic acid, which is also considered a poisonous element that should be paid attention to and protect yourself from.

Contraindicated for use by pregnant women, nursing mothers and children.

If you feel shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or a hoarse voice, these are signs of poisoning due to an overdose of cherry laurel.

Plant propagation

There are 3 methods of reproduction:

  • Seminal;
  • By cuttings;
  • By layering.

Let us examine in detail the seed propagation method.

Seed method

The main rule of seeds is that their productivity is developed only in fresh form, immediately after collection. If you are planning to put off the seeds for later, they may not sprout. The only salvation will be a damp, cool environment. How to do it:


Method of propagation by cuttings

This process is quite difficult, unlike the seed propagation method. Let's look at it in detail:

  • We divide and cut the woody shoots and divide them into parts;
  • Prepare a mixture: peat-humus-sand. There should be expanded clay at the bottom. We plant shoots there;
  • We put our container with mixtures and shoots in the greenhouse;
  • We water it often in hot weather (it loves water very much);
  • When the root system has matured, transplant the finished sprouts into special pots and they will sprout there alone for a year;

After a year, plant in open ground.

Method of propagation by layering

Vertical layers. How to do everything effectively:

  • We make stumps from trees;
  • From March to May shoots will sprout on the stumps. We will remove some of them, but keep the strong ones;
  • When the shoots grow up to 20 cm in height, they are enriched with soil and abundant watering;
  • From September to November, the sprouted shoots are planted in another place.

Any soil can be used: alkaline, slightly acidic.

Care and planting

We have already looked at methods of propagation, now we will look at how to plant a plant successfully and efficiently. Cherry laurel loves sunlight and does not like wind and drafts.

How we will plant:


Plant in open ground in autumn.

First, loosen the soil and fertilize it. Make a hole 80 by 80 centimeters. Dig in and water.

As for care, cherry laurel is not painstaking in this regard.

Trimming time:

  • In February it is worth processing and pruning the leaves.
  • From spring to summer it is pruned if it is a hedge.
  • In September and May, shoots and diseased branches are pruned.

During the ripening process, be sure to fertilize and feed. Fertilizer per bush - 5 kilograms per square meter.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW: The shrub can easily freeze and will have a hard time surviving the cold if you overdo it with the amount of nitrogen fertilizer.

When to water a cherry laurel plant:

  • In summer, watering is once every 7 days;
  • In winter - reduce to once a week.